GE and the city of Miami are banking on $200 million of stimulus pork for a pilot “smart meter” program that will allow users to know how much electricity they’re using and when:

The City of Miami announced a proposal on Monday to install 1 million two-way “smart meters” to all Miami residents over the next two years in what would be the most comprehensive smart-grid program in the U.S.
Mayor Manny Diaz outlined the Energy Smart Miami plan, which is anticipated to cost $200 million in its first phase, at a press conference at Miami Dade College. Joining Diaz were the CEOs of the key suppliers in the project: Florida Power & Light CEO Lewis Hay, General Electric CEO Jeffery Immelt, Cisco systems CEO John Chambers, and SilverSpring Networks CEO Scott Lang.
“To me these are prudent and smart investments that will easily pay for themselves,” Diaz said. “It will show the nation how to address environmental, energy, and economic challenges all at the same time.”
The installation of meters with a wireless Internet connection will allow consumers get detailed home energy usage information from the Web, according to Hay, the CEO of the Florida utility. With the up-to-the minute data, consumers are expected to take steps to lower their consumption.
About 1,000 consumers will get in-home energy display from GE, called an EcoDashboard, and have smart-meter-controlled appliances and thermostats. These people will also participate in a demand-response program that will allow the utility to adjust appliances to throttle down electricity use during peak times.

What the piece doesn’t say is that a two-way meter is the only way to get time-of-day pricing. You want to use your air conditioner at noon in Miami? Well, that’s going to cost you extra. Now, whatever you think of time-of-day pricing, the politics of should get quite messy — especially in a state like Florida, where most folks are using their air conditioners at noon.